scraps

Circular Logic is project in Issue 2 – Scraps. It is a brilliant way to use up tiny scraps. We chatted to Caroline Press to find out more about her and her inspiration.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Caroline and I live in Corvallis Oregon with my husband of 19 years and our two children. By day I’m a scientist, I have a PhD in Plant Pathology and work full-time in the field. By night, I’m sewing, a lot! I sew almost every day during the evening as time allows but I also juggle the usual household pursuits, kids sports, activities, and so on. My online alter ego is Trilliumdesign and I blog about my sewing exploits at trilliumdesign.blogspot.com.

How did you start sewing?

I just started quilting this year but I have been sewing all my life. My mother is an accomplished tailor and I remember using her scraps to make tiny purses for myself when I was a child. I spent many hours in her sewing room watching and later helping her and even started sewing clothes for myself when I was in high school. I put sewing on hold for a long time after college while I was studying and then working towards my career. I started back up a few years ago when my daughter was in the ‘princess’ phase and made her dresses and outfits which I realized I could do much more economically on my own. When she grew out of that, I realized I really enjoyed the process of sewing and designing not to mention the lovely fabrics and colors. So I moved on to making purses and bags for myself and still design those today. I am currently putting the finishing touches on my own purse patterns since so many people have asked me for the patterns for my designs. I’m hoping to make these available soon in my etsy shop.

What is your favourite quilt that you have made?

I started quilting in January and made a few doll quilts for my daughter as practice pieces. They turned out so well, I was inspired to make my mother-in-law a lap quilt for her belated christmas gift and the quilt bug has stuck ever since. I’m entirely self taught thanks to the internet and countless helpful quilting bloggers, flickr members and you-tubers. So far I have made 5 quilts this year and am currently working on 4 more. My favorite quilt is probably the Mod blooms quilt I made earlier this year. I love the combination of colors on that one and the mod vibe.

Who is your favourite designer?

My favorite designer is a tough question to answer. I’m an avid fan of textiles and there are many designers whose designs I typically gravitate towards. Probably the most influential for me is Paula Prass. Her use of color and print design is really vibrant and fun and definitely speaks to me. Her Flights of Fancy line is a favorite of mine.

Do you have a dedicated sewing area?

I sew in our home office on an armoire that my husband modified for me as a sewing space. It was intended to hold both my machines and my fabric but in truth I have taken over much of the house with my fabric and supplies. My fabric collection lives in part on our living room bookcases. My family puts up with a lot from me. My daughter told me recently that as long as she hears the sewing machine she knows that I’m around and that is comforting to her.

What are you working on at the moment?

My current project is a quilt I’m making for my son. He rarely benefits from my sewing skills, so he’s overdue for a nice quilt. I also have a couple of other quilts on the go and I always have a long list of projects on the horizon. I’m a planner.

My etsy shop can be found at trilliumshoppe.etsy.com where I destash, and sell my purses and other sewn goods. I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to share my love of sewing with everyone and would like to extend a big thank-you to the Fat Quarterly folks for inviting me to do so.